After visiting the Heimos Nursery in Mildstadt, I’m posting a few notes about my visit.

They make their own potting mix.

47% peat moss – fine/shredded

47% Coir – coconut fiber husks – finely shredded

5 % perlite (the speaker did not like perlite, but only put it in because the buyers insist on it.

They don’t use Osmocote or hard fertilizers. They use liquid feed which they tailor to each plant.

They don’t use rooting hormone. They said that plants are selected which are easier to root.

Most of their cuttings come from overseas – Mexico, South America…
One thing I noticed about the cuttings was that they were small and the stems were not large. After the plants are rooted, they put them into a cooler temperatures so that the plants don’t grow large.

It seems like big part of their business is rooting cuttings and then shipping them off to other growers and nurseries.

They use a product call Strip It to clean the hose drip lines and also use it to sanitize areas. She said they do this quite often. (Seems a bit much for home use.) This product is sulphuric acid!

Jesse Gilbertson, the director of horticulture for U City in Bloom, is going to give a tour of some of the city gardens on Monday – August 8th at 9:30 a.m. We are going to meet at Centennial Commons in Heman Park on Olive Blvd. This should be quite an informative program for all types of gardeners. No reservations are required, just show up.

Recently, I was lucky enough to have Mary Ann Fink, one of the top gardeners in the St. Louis area, come and visit my garden. Here are a few notes from my conversation with her.

How can we grow flowers in a non-irrigated area?
Solomns Seal can take lack of irrigation.
Rudeckia will take lack of irrigation, but will look rough.

Shasta Daisy – to keep blooming, as soon as they are fading, not done, but just past their prime, take off just the top flower. There is a dormant bud just below the flower that may come into bloom. If you wait until they have gone to seed, it’s probably too late.

Asclepias tuberosa – plant pansies or small bulbs around it in the fall. It’s a late spring plant, and you want to mark the area where it is growing so you don’t dig it up accidentally.

Jerry Pence – great landscape designer.

Consider adding a walkway in my milkweed bed in the front to give it some visual interest and it’s easier to get into and weed.

10-6 Rule – This is for plants that tend to get tall. When it gets to ten inches, you cut it back to six inches. She suggested putting plants together that grow at the same rate so that you can just go in and trim the entire area at one time. New Englad Aster will take three prunings.

MA volunteered to help me during one of my talks.
(Possibly we could have her come and talk to Crestwood gardeners.)

Privet – cut to the ground every few years to rejuvenate.

MA likes the Claw – garden tool.

She suggests trying White Ball Buddleia – as it gets larger you can shear it.

She likes Veronica and Vervain.

Pom Pom Echinacea is borderline hardy,

Verticillium wilt – I may have in the soil. Killing Shasta Daisy?

Profusion zinnia – should be a good pollinator.

Bee Balm – cut to the ground when it is done blooming.

Hopefully Mary Ann will do a gardening program in the near future. I’ll keep you posted when she starts her class.